I grew up in Ironton and graduated from IHS in 1966. It was one of the great classes of all time.

After high school I attended the branch,then enlisted in the Air Force, then worked for 28 years for General Electric and 8 years for Citibank.

These two companies allowed me to travel all over the world and to most of the 50 states. Along the way I moved 14 times, and lived in towns such as Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Cincinniti, Columbus,Orlando, Johnson City,Sarasota, Atlanta, Jacksonville, etc.

I have attended “executive meetings” where many of the attendees graduated from schools such as Harvard,Columbia,MIT, Duke, Brown, Naval Academy, etc.

Although along the way I was able to obtain two master’s degrees from universities with fine football teams whenever I was in these meetings and people spoke of their college football teams I would always proudly ask them if they had heard of the Ironton Tigers. As you would suspect their response would be, “Who?”

I would then go about explaining the history of the Tigers.

I am now retired and live in beautiful Jacksonville Florida.

I have three kids, one still at home, Hannah, Rusty an attorney in Orlando and a daughter, Cassidy, now living in Ft. Worth, Texas. By the way, she is to wed in August and I suggested she get married in Ironton.

Anyway,the reason for my letter was to state that no matter how many places I have lived or visited, I love the fact that I grew up in Ironton, am a Whitweller and IHS alumni.

I would not trade my time in Ironton for anything in the world.

I wish all the fine residents of Ironton a happy and prosperous New Year. May all of your dreams come true. Most of mine have. God bless you.

Russ newman

Jacksonville, Fla.